frees



(No Mmiel.)

G. A. FREES. ARTIFICIAL LEG.

No. 401,426. Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

P m 2 my 4 wam E55 E5 N PETERS. mommhu n UNITED STATES PATENT 'EErcE.

CHANOY A. FREES, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 401,426, dated April 16, 1889.

Application filed September 20, 1888. Serial No. 285,846. (No model.)

T 0 all 1071 0121, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHANCY ADELMER FREES, of New York city, New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Artificial Legs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to various improvements in an artificial leg, and more particularly to the construction of the various'joints of the same.

The invention consists in the various features of improvement more fully pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of my improved artificial leg. Fig. 2 is a top view of the foot. Fig. 3 is a bottom. view, and Fig. 4a top view, of plate a; Fig. 5, a side view of the bar g. Fig. 6 is a side view of the pin 715". Figs. '7, 8, and 9 are detail views of the parts on 177/ m respectively.

The letter A represents an artificial leg made of the usual form and entering a socket in the foot B. The joint upon which the leg may rock backward and forward, and also sidewise, consists of a plate, a, made of cup shaped form-that is, convex 011 one side and concave on the other. This plate is shown to be attached to the upper side of the foot B. The convex part of the plate a constitutes a ball, and is received by a socket, of the leg, the whole constituting a ball-and-socketjoint. The concave part of the plate a constitutes a socket and receives a ball, 0, attached to an arm, (I, of a fork, the other arm, 6, of which is fastened to the leg by anut, f. The stem g of the forked piece connects with one end of a spring or elastic web, 71, the other end of which is connected to the foot B.

If desired, the plate (I, may have its concave side on top and its convex side at the bottom. In that case it is attached to the lower side of the leg, and the position of the forked piece will also be reversed.

It will be seen that a ball-and-socket joint is formed on each side of plate a, and that thus the foot may rock in any direction between the parts I) c on the one hand and the part a on the other hand, or vice versa.

The spring or elastic web h will expand sufficiently to permit the rocking of the foot, and

it will bring the foot into its proper position under the leg as soon as any lateral or back and forward strain on the foot is removed.

The upper part of Fig. 1 shows the construction of a knee-joint with artificial legs employed in thigh amputations. The heeltendon 71. and check-cord 72 are attached to a hook or pin, '13, traversing the thigh D. The thigh D and leg A are connected by a transverse pivot-pin or screw-bolt, 72. having a tapering head or nut, h at one end and entering a tapering threaded nut, 71-, at the other end. The bolt passes through two braces, h projecting upwardly from the leg A. and through the lower portion of thigh D. The head it and nuth are received by recesses or sockets in the sides of thigh D. By tightening up the bolt 72. or'the nut h the joint between. the parts A D maybe adjusted when Worn.

The lower end of the heeltendon h is looped and is engaged by a hook, in, the threaded shank of which engages a central threaded perforation of a plate, m, having an annular groove in its upper side. Into this, groove there is placed an annular rubber gasket, m The plate m is received by asocket in the heel of foot B, and the gasket is interposed between the plate m and the body of the foot. Thus an elastic connection is made between heel-tendon and foot, which is very desirable for the proper operation of the Zl/l't'ifiClcl leg.

The thigh D is traversed from side to side by a pivot, 11, upon which turns an equalizing bar or lever, n. The two ends of this bar are connected to a pair of straps, n 71 that are adapted to be attached to the shoulder-strap. Thus as the wearer of the leg in changing his position puts more or less strain on either the front or back part of the shoulder-strap the equalizing-bar will turn on its pivot and restore the equality of strain on the strap. This will be found to be a matter of great relief to the wearer. The knee-sprin g n is preferably attached to the lever 41'.

What I claim is- -1. The combination of leg A and foot B, with the bulged plate CL forming a ball on one side and a socket on the other, and with a ball engagin the socket of said plate, and

with a socket for receiving the ball of said plate, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of leg A and foot B, with bulged plate a, and with a forked bar 5 provided with ball a, and with spring 71, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of leg A and foot B, with bulged plate a, and with a forked bar, one arm of which carries a hall, 0, the second [0 arm of which is connected to a fixed support, and the third arm of which is connected to a spring, h, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of leg A and thigh D, with bolt h having conical head h at one I 5 end, and with conical nut if, that receives the other end of the bolt, and with the braces h substantially as specified.

thigh D, with the pivot n traversing the thigh, 2 5 r and with the equalizing-bar n turning on said pivot and adapted to be connected to the shoulder-strap, substantially as specified.

CHANCY A. FREES.

Witnesses;

F. v. BRIESEN, A. JONGHMANS. 

